Plate or pan lifter.



S. A. HOLMAN.

PLATE 0R PAN LIFTER.

APPLICATION rmm APR. 9, 1910.

Patented Jan. 31, 1911.

Patented Jan. 31, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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STEPHEN A. HOLMAN, OF BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA.

PLATE OR PAN LIFTER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN A. HoLMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bakersfield, in the county of Kern and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plate or Pan Lifters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements in kitchen utensils or appliances, and the invention has for its object a cheap, simple and durable construction of plate or pan lifter which may be effectively used to engage and tightly grip over a round, rectangular, or other shaped plate or pan and move the same from or place the same on a stove without danger of the operator being burned, and also without the necessity of the operator getting uncomfortably near the heat, the length of the handle of the device and the construction of parts rendering the lifter capable of being easily manipulated by merely grasping one end of the handle and without the necessity of attaching the jaws over and upon the same or close them upon the article to be lifted.

With these and other objects in view as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions, arrangements and combinations of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form or embodiment of my invention; Fig.

2 is an end view thereof; Fig. 3 is a side ele vation of the device; and, Figs. 1 and 5 are views of a modification.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the supporting frame of my improved pan or plate lifter, the same being of any desired substance or material although preferably formed of relatively light and strong wire. In the present instance the frame 1 is formed of a single piece of wire bent intermediate of its ends to form an open loop or eye 2 which may be conveniently used to engage a nail or the like to Specification of Letters Patent Application filed April 9, 1910.

Patented Jan. 31, 1911.

Serial No. 554,550.

support the lifter when not in use, the wire being extended from the loop 2 to form substantially parallel side members 3, and the ends being inturned as designated at 4 and embedded in the enlarged intermediate portion 5 of the handle 6. The side members 3 are also secured to the handle 6 by staples 7 or the like which penetrate the enlarged intermediate portion 5 of the handle, and it is to be particularly noted that the staples 7 are so positioned relative to the openings in which the inturned ends 4 are received that in the unliexed and normal position of the side members 3 (it being of course understood that the frame is constructed of spring wire) said members, and in fact the entire frame will assume a slightly angular position relative to the handles.

The laterally swinging jaws 8 of the device are convex curved as shown and curved from end to end to form engaging portions 9, the wire of which the jaws are formed being coiled any desired number of times around the re: ective side members 3 as indicated at 11 whereby to pivot-ally mount the jaws upon the frame, the extremities of the wires which form the sides of the jaws being extended through apertures 12 formed in a flange 13 of a sleeve 1 1 which is secured upon the forward end of the handle, the said eX- tremities being preferably bent or hooked as shown, so as to prevent their detachment.

In the normal position of the parts, the frame 1 will assume a slightly inclined angular position relative to the handle 6 as before stated and the offset relation of the frame with the flange 13 to which the upper ends of the jaws are connected will inanifestly tend to hold the engaging portions 9 of the jaws comparatively close together.

In order to engage a plate or pan it is only necessary to slip the engaging portions 9 underneath the rim or flange thereof, and to press downwardly on the jaws which will tend to move them far enough apart to slip underneath the flange, and to then slightly raise the device whereupon the weight of the article being lifted will manifestly cause the frame to yield in a downward direction and thereby tend to move the jaws closely together so as to securely grip the article. After the plate or the like has been placed on a table or shelf for instance, it may be easily released from the lifter by pressing the device downwardly, and as soon as the device has been disengaged, the spring tension of the members 3 of the handle 1 will tend to automatically bring the jaws back to normal position.

The modification of my device is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, wherein the handle designated 6 is formed of relatively heavy wire coiled or twisted upon itself as shown the handle being curled upon itself at one end and being intertwined with the ends P of the side members 3 of the frame 1 In this form of the device, the side members are offset as at 15 so as to secure the same result as has been before described with reference to the frame 1 and the extremities of the sides 10 of the jaws 8 are connected directly with the handle some of said eX- tremities extending through the twisted portions of the handle at one end thereof which correspond to the flanged sleeve 14. As the operation of this form of device is substantially similar to that first described, no further description is deemed necessary.

handle intermediate of the ends of the latter, the side members extending forwardly from their point of connection with the handle on opposite sides of the latter, and swinging jaws mounted intermediate of their ends on the respective side members of the supporting frame near the front ends of said members, the jaws being arranged to swing laterally and having their inner ends pivotally connected to the handle.

In testimony whereof I a'liiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

STEPHEN A. HOLMAN. [Ls] Witnesses J. V. Lone,

J. L. Foorn. 

